Introduce yourself!
M: I’m Monica from Kansas City, Missouri and my website is moknowshair.com.
Why did you make the decision to go natural?
M: I’ve been natural off and on throughout life…I’d just relax my hair when I would cut it into short styles. The last time I cut my hair off was in 2008 to get rid of some permanent color. After that, I relaxed one more time then decided to grow it out, naturally, in 2009. I love my natural texture, especially since now there are products that make it easier to style…in the 90’s there was nothing for “our” hair, so being natural was hard, and I never stuck with it.
How would you describe your texture?
M: I have type 3A hair, medium porosity, fine width and high density.
Describe your styling regimen over the course of the month.
M: My go-to style is the wash-n-go. I use Trader Joe’s Shampoo and Conditioner, ApHogee Keratin and Green Tea Restructurizer, Mixed Chicks Leave-In Conditioner and Chi Deep Brilliance Reflect oil. To get maximum volume and defined curls, I use a ceramic blow dryer with a diffuser attachment. If I want to wear protective styles, I will do a blow out by letting my hair air-dry or by sitting under a hooded dryer, then use my blow dryer to stretch my hair. For this I like to layer heat protectants such as ApHogee Restructurizer, Crème of Nature Perfect 7 and Dr. Miracle’s Curl Friendly Blow Out Foam. I use Chi Deep Brilliance Reflect while blow drying. If I want to wear my hair silky straight, I do a traditional roller set under the dryer, then use my FHI Ceramic Flat Iron to style. When I do this style, I like to use Scruples Sulfate-Free Shampoo and Restorative Conditioner along with Motions Styling Foam and Chi Deep Brilliance Reflect to finish.
What does wash day look like for you?
M: Wash day almost always includes me using Trader Joe’s Shampoo and Conditioner to start. It’s such a wonderful, natural product and the price point is amazingly low. I always deep condition in a plastic cap for 45 minutes, or under a hooded dryer for 20. Then I decide on either a wash-n-go or blow out. If I just had a blowout or straight style, I will do a protein treatment to restore my hair fully. I also do a homemade hot oil treatment every 4–6 weeks.
Describe your favorite go-to hairstyle for days when you don’t have a lot of time to style.
M: My wash-n-go lasts for days! I can pin-up the sides, twist sections to the back, do a side pineapple with a scarf, or pull it into a big, curly ponytail. I can get about a week out of a wash-n-go by wearing it down the first 3–4 days and then styling the other 3–4 days. I love it!
How do you combat shrinkage?
M: I don’t have shrinkage; my hair actually pulls almost straight when wet. My goal in curly styling is to draw my hair up into defined, wavy curls. Diffusing with Mixed Chicks Leave-In Conditioner helps me do that flawlessly every time.
Tell us about your hair color?
M: I have never been a red head before, so I figured I’d try it! And I love it! I used Ion’s Ammonia-Free Demi-Permanent in Light Burgundy Blonde with Volume 10 Developer. Because my natural hair color is a medium brown, higher volume lift and bleach weren’t necessary to achieve this color. Also, I have medium porosity making it relatively easy to absorb chemical and product. I have not experienced any damage or change in curl pattern. I attribute this to the product being ammonia-free.
What are some of your problem areas (if any) that require special care and attention?
M: I wouldn’t say I have any problem areas, but I do always make sure to keep my edges moisturized with jojoba oil and I always tie my hair up at night and when I workout to prevent unnecessary rubbing or pull.
What are 2 do’s for your texture?
M: 1. I do always deep condition to make sure my hair is soft and moisturized. 2. I do trim my ends every three months (or check to see if I need trimming) to make sure I don’t have split ends.
What are 2 don’ts for your texture?
M: 1. I do not co-wash. I’ve tried it a few times, but I never get the same results I get with regular shampooing every 5–7 days. My scalp is naturally oily; I need a cleansing shampoo to remove build up. 2. I do not use heavy, holding custards for twists, bunning or bantu knots because they cause my hair to be too heavy and the strands just clump together, so I don’t have the body and volume I prefer. Instead, I use light butters and puddings for those styles.
Is there a blog/webpage where we can find you?
M: moknowshair.com
All of my social media (IG, FB, YT, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Twitter) are “moknowshair”
Amazing! I wish,I wish,I wish 🙂
Very creative hairstyles.
Love your hair and hair styles, and your hair color, just gorgeous.
Gorgeous and i love your hair
I love your hairstyles! Amazing!
What an impeccable sense of style. Love It!!!!
Really nice updos!
Omg!! Most beautiful hair that I’ve ever seen! So versatile! Omg! Just beautiful!
Absolutely beautiful
Oh my!!! Ur hair is so beautiful and gorgeous that I will advice you to Never be in JERRY SPRINGER’s SHOW!!!
This is not natural hair. Not nappy enough.
What is wrong with you?
What’s wrong with you?
Beautiful hair!! Love the color and fullness!
Money: what does the “nappiness” of a person’s hair have to do with it being natural?
Not money but Monet. Autocorrect 🙁
What are your definitions natural and natural hair? I always assume natural hair to be the God given hair you were born with, virgin hair. The hair that grows out of your scalp as is, isn’t that one’s natural texture? People who are born with either straight, course, wavy, spiral curls, coils etc, that do not add chemicals that permanently alter their natural texture or process their hair in any form, is that not natural hair? Please share your definition.
Sorry I meant what are your definitions *of* natural and natural hair.
WOW why don’t we just grab a paper bag while we’re at it and see if women or “black enough” to be on here. Why are discriminating against each other??!!?? And if you think that that’s far from skin discrimination, you’re wrong.
omg! middle flat braid bun epicness! 🙂 so elegant, yet slightly edgy…
Love love love the color and the style in the last picture is really creative.
whatshetaughther.blogspot.com
This is really too much goodness for me to take in so early in the morning!!! Absolutely gorgeous and I think I just found my new hair color!!
That hair color is gorgeous with your skin tone. Lookin’ good.
I like the swept up bun. Not sure why anyone would say that she doesn’t have natural hair. Read the header, it says she’s a 3a. That’s natural even if it’s not tightly coiled. Some people have some strange ideas and parameters when it comes to natural hair.
Really pretty girl with pretty hair, and that color is FIRE. Love it!
Beautiful hair!!
Gorgeous hair, luv it.
Ô my liiiife!! Je suis in love with your hair ! The colour, the curls, the volume, the length. Tout les choses !!(everything)
WOW WOW WOW~ Seems so effortless to style your hair, every style you had featured was beautiful! The color compliments you well and your hair looks sooo healthy!
You ladies are killing me with all this fly hair colors! So cute. I really like that twisty bun thing you did. Looks like a nice style for evening wear. Also big BRAVO for getting a week out of a wash n go. That’s what I call easy hair care.
Very, very nice #haircrush!
I love your hair and the color. Its so healthy and beautiful. I love it
What am I missing? Why are folks confused about whether she’s natural? She hasn’t relaxed her hair since 2009. What we’re looking at is the natural state of her hair (after some styling and product of course). Isn’t that what natural means?
Her hair looks amazing and I love all the different styles. I’m a 3b, I think, slightly tighter curls and I’ll definitely be trying some of these looks.
There are a group of women that troll this site. If they don’t see 4c hair, they decide it has to be processed or the woman is somehow not black. The best thing to do is ignore them and enjoy the variety of styles and hair types this website celebrates.
agreed. Love her style and hair.
I love this website and it’s ability to find black women with a variety of hair textures, something that helps women who look at the typing charts and see that black women are usually only represented has having type 3c to 4c. Genetics do a variety of things with hair type that often has nothing to do with skin color. This young woman’s hair is beautiful and it’s helping me to better figure out how to deal with my own 3a-3b hair.
I love your creativity. I must check you out on youtube. And that red is fi-yah!
Yes that red is HOTT. I agree
that hair is on like popcorn. There is a natural hair tumblr that I used to look at for hair inspiration. In my humble opinion, the site went from “hair porn” to featuring one too many woman without clothes. I just didnt get it. I commented on the images I was seeing and got cut a brand new one. I stopped going to the tumblr. I am so glad BGLH remains true to the “hair porn” industry without compromising modesty. I love this site
Beautiful! I love that second picture! I’ve never seen a bun like that, very cute.
http://ammamama.wordpress.com
I love your hair and the color!!! I’m 17 & been natural for 9 months and been kind of skeptical about dying my hair. Do you have any tips on hair dying?
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Her hair is beautiful, but my hair looks like that and I wouldn’t dare claim 3A. I’ve always said I have 3C hair. 3b at the Crown. While these styles are cute and creative, I too would love to see a wash and go hairstyle from her
Many of her pics are wash and gos, I follow her on IG. She is definitely 3A. Her natural curls and big and round, look like my twistouts.
I think she is correct on her analysis on her hair.…its similar to the way my hair is in the front.
Beautiful hair & styles!
Beautiful!
Oh my gosh your hair is gorgeous!!!!! I have about the same texture but one can see that you know how to handle and treat your hair.
Your hair is so beautiful. We have similar hair texture, mine is not as thick as yours (low density and fine). I’ll be using you as a point of reference with products though. It’s easy for my hair to get weighed down. Your styles are amazing though. Thanks for sharing!!
I love your hair. Its so beautiful. I am getting that color too. God Bless Beautiful Lady
Exactly what color is the purpleish color in the 2nd picture with the ponytail?
In LOVE with her hair! Its beautiful!
She uses a texturizer. That is a mild perm that are in most kiddie perms. I’m sorry but the edges do not match the hair texture. Not natural at all. She has gorgeous hair though and good tips on styling but she gets her natural card pulled by using texturizers.
You do know that like the vast majority of naturals, she likely uses a gel to smooth her edges. Come on! You must know that! LOL!
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I started watching Mo because I thought her hair was similar to mine. I’m a 3A with low density, medium strands, and low porosity. My roots however, aren’t really curly like hers which kind of confuses me. I get that the longer your hair is, the more weight it has which causes the curls to become bigger, but I really think Mo is a 3B. Me and other 3A’s I know don’t have to smooth down our baby hairs because they are naturally straight since they are much shorter, and my waves are consistent from root to tip. Mo also… Read more »
Really? You are going in on the fact that she chooses to put jell on her edges, so therefore her hair type has to be different than she’s saying? Honestly. Is it really that important? Sigh…I truly wish we as women could find some more important things to occupy our time!
By the way, someone else thought this Icon’s edges were too straight for her hair to truly be natural, while you think the jell addition means she’s not in the upper echelon’s of type 3! LOL!
I know what you mean. I have 3B hair and her roots/edges are a lot tighter than mine. It’s weird that people don’t notice heat damage when it’s so obvious.
And Kayla, I’m often surprised by how much is blamed on heat damage instead of simply being how one’s hair grows! My roots are tighter and more course than the rest of my hair, and I use heat no more than once or twice a year. This is why this whole hair typing system needs to be done away with. Some of you have some really weird expectations that every woman will have exactly the same hair, and when it’s not like your hair, it must be “heat damage” the race card of the natural hair community. Honestly. Lighten up.
Nothing to lighten up about:) People with naturally loose, 3A curly hair wouldn’t have tight roots. That just doesn’t make sense. Pair that with 450 degree heat and it looks like heat damage. Just my (and several others’) observation.
And the opinion of far too many women who want to believe we all have type 4 hair, and therefore anything else is heat damage. Monica is a beautiful woman with gorgeous hair, your opinion of her roots not withstanding! LOL!
You’re right it really doesn’t make sense. 3Bs and 3As pretty much have straight baby hairs and don’t require gel to keep them down. You can see her baby hairs more clearly in her recent videos, and they are definitely not straight. They look more like 3C and are coarse and wiry and I’m guessing that’s why she always has to gel them down. It’s obvious she takes good care of her hair what with the million products she puts in it, so why does her baby hairs not match the rest of her hair? Whether it’s heat damage, texturizer,… Read more »